One part rap concert, one part comedy, one part TED talk, Religion explained.

The world is full of religions, thousands of them. New religions are formed every day, while others are forgotten. Religion inspires feelings of universal love, and also inspires people to wage war and murder cartoonists. Some think religion is true, others think it’s merely comforting, while more and more atheists are dismissing religion as a dangerous delusion. How are we to make sense of it all?

Award winning rapper and playwright Baba Brinkman reveals the hidden logic in his exciting new show “Rap Guide to Religion.” The bottom line: religion evolves. As an atheist himself, Baba sees no truth in the supernatural claims of religion, so instead he looks for the evolutionary benefits of belief. Religion and evolution are supposed to be mortal enemies, right? But they become surprisingly compatible once you understand religion as a natural product of evolution. Just like rap concerts, religions are designed to “move the crowd” by any means necessary – and with the help of some famous rappers, Baba Brinkman is determined to find out why.

Fresh from a five-star-rated run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, “Rap Guide to Religion” traces the roots of faith from tribal animism to radical Islam to Justin Bieber thanking god at the MTV Teen Choice Awards. Hailed as a “celebration of science and reason” (Theater Pizzazz), the result is one part rap concert, one part comedy, and one part TED talk, adding up to a whole new species of off-Broadway theater.